How to get more Veggies into your diet!

We all need 5 servings of vegetables a day, that's right I said it 5. In all honesty, hardly any of us are actually eating all five of those servings.  I read that teenager's typically only eat 2 servings a day and one of those servings is french fries.  As adults we do about the same, maybe a serving better. What do we tend to eat instead of vegetables? Processed foods, aka junk foods.  

These foods are high in fat and sugars but low in protein, vitamins and minerals.  The high fat/sugar count makes it HIGH in calories and hardly fills us up.  So why don't we eat more vegetables?  There seems to be a stigma against healthy foods, either they are too hard to cook or too expensive.  Both couldn't be farther from the truth.  When shopping I tend to spend less when I am buy fresh produce vs. buying processed foods.  There are also plenty of quick recipes you can make involving fresh vegetables.

To get more veggies in your breakfast try making an omelet and stuffing it with tons peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes.  Want to spice it up a little? Add some salsa and red pepper flakes to the top! For lunch have a salad sandwich.  Instead of making your sandwich on bread, place all your toppings on top of a bed of lettuce or spinach.  For dinner you could make a fresh vegetable stir fry, or try having squash as your side starch instead of pasta. Carrots, celery, peppers and cucumbers are great for snacking on raw through out the day.

If you really want to get more vegetables in your diet you just need to try!  This week add more vegetables to your grocery list.  Look up a few new recipes and maybe even try a few new vegetables out!  Once you start adding more to your diet you will feel fuller and healthier! An added bonus is that you will spend less on your groceries per month!

 

Simple Vegetarian 'Tuna' Salad

When I first became a vegetarian I had to make the decision of whether or not I would still eat fish.  The only fish I ever enjoyed was Tuna, so I figured I would just cut out ALL meat all together.  Some days I still miss being able to make a quick tuna salad, so I came up with this quick and simple recipe substituting garbanzo beans for the protein source! I am not a low-carb person, but I do tend to cut out most bread and like to eat this salad on top of a bed of lettuce instead! Happy eating!

Simple Vegetarian 'Tuna' Salad

Ingredients:
    1 16oz can garbanzo beans, drained
    1/4 cup diced red onion
    1/4 cup diced celery
    2 tbs light mayonnaise
    1 tbs yellow mustard
    1 tsp lemon pepper
    1/4 tsp minced garlic

Directions:
-Drain garbanzo beans and place in a bowl.  Mash the garbanzo beans with a potato masher until mostly smooth.
-Dice onion and celery and add to bowl.  Mix.
-Add mayonnaise, mustard, lemon pepper and garlic to bowl.  Mix and taste.  Add other spices to your liking.

*Makes 2 servings. Calories per serving: 232 Protein: 12g

What I miss...

What I miss from 114lbs ago...

I miss eating without questioning what I was eating and wondering what the nutritional content of my meal was.

I miss devouring a whole pizza and washing it down with an ice cold drink.

I miss having almost a whole thing of oreos and glass of milk to myself.

I miss the feeling that food used to give me, a feeling of euphoria.

I miss how food had no boundaries, how the sky was the limit and I could indulge in anything I pleased.

I miss how serving sizes didn't matter, they were just a number on the label.

But here is what I don't miss.

Cowering behind food, using it as a mask.

Pretending the stares and comments didn't hurt. Trying to be the funny one to fit in and ignore the hurt I felt inside.

My legs chaffing as I walked, and never being able to wear shorts due to them always riding up.

Feeling winded after walking up a flight of stairs, not being able to run without feeling as though I was suffocating.

Gorging myself to the point of physical pain. 

My clothes being tight and leaving marks in my skin.

The embarrassment of having to shop in a specialty store.

I can pretty much say what I don't miss out weighs what I do miss.  I know the things I miss are things that only the unhealthy me needed.  The new me doesn't need those things to be happy.  Food can no longer be my mask, my comfort, my friend.  It is now just there to nourish me. On the occasion it is still there to soothe a stressful day, only this time I use it as the label states. One serving is all I need.

Corn on the cob made in an oven!

It is corn season and I couldn't be more excited about it.  Whenever I go to the store there is always a sale on corn. Last week was 5 ears of corn for $1. We got 5 because it's just me and my fiance in the house.  Once we got home I contemplated the best way to cook them.  Should I grill them, boil them, microwave them or was there another way.

Well all I can say is THANK YOU GOOGLE! I searched how too cook corn in the oven. My oh my it couldn't have been easier.  I was told you could cook it without soaking it, husks still on for 30 minutes at 350°. No Soaking required, well at first I was skeptical and thought I would end up catching the oven on fire but figured I would try it out anyway.  

So, I put the corn in the oven left it for 30 minutes and viola! The corn was done, and it was amazingly delicious.  No butter needed.  I did put a little cajun seasoning on top for 0 extra calories.  The corn was really sweet on it's own, and completely tender from being steamed in its own husk!

**One ear of corn has around 100 calories.

10 Steps towards a healthy life!

1. Get prepared for your new life! Get excited about changing your life and get prepared to make the change for good. Realize that this isn't another fad diet you are going to start, this time you are going to change your whole lifestyle.  This time it is forever.

2. Evaluate the people in your life. So you want a fresh start? Then you need to take a closer look at the people you surround yourself with.  Are they good influences on you or do they tempt you with every step you take. If they are  the latter as hard as it is you may have to try to let them go, or at least keep your distance until you are strong enough to stand up for yourself and tell them no!

3. Clear out your pantry. Check your pantry for things that may tempt you later on. If you feel like you aren't strong enough to have it in your house yet get rid of it.  It is easier to stay on track without temptation at arms reach.

4. Write down your feelings. When you feel bad and want to binge eat, write down how you are feeling.  Finding what triggers you to make unhealthy decisions may help you in the future.  Also, write about why you are making this change, why it is so important to you to live a healthy and productive life.  You can look back on this for support and encouragement when you are having a bad day.

5. START! You can only do so much preparation and think about it so much before you start. Make small changes first, this small changes with grow exponentially into bigger changes.  Once you start making the bigger changes you will be amazed at your momentum.

6. Make sure the good out weighs the bad. We are all human and as humans we slip up.  Just make sure that you don't let one slip up turn into a roller coaster of bad decisions.  One cupcake will make you gain a pound.  As long as you stick to your work out schedule and continue to eat healthy you will be fine.

7. Count your calories. That means logging them daily. Log everything, because the more you log the better idea you will have on your daily calorie intake. The better idea on you caloric intake the easier it is for you to see what you need to change in your eating habits to lead a healthier life.

8. Write down your goals. Write them down and hang them up! I hang mine up in my bathroom, that way I can see them every day. They serve as my daily reminder of why I never want to go back to where I was and why I intend on living a healthy life for the rest of my life.

9. Get an accountability partner. Find someone who is willing to support you no matter what.  Someone to lean on that you can talk to about your daily activities.  This person should be there to support you and be there to listen to you.  You in return can do the same for them.

10. Celebrate your victories no matter how small. Celebrate your change in weight. Celebrate your non-scale victories as well.  Can you walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath? Can you finally tie your own shes? Can you fit into a pair of jeans you wore in high school? Are people noticing your life change? Celebrate everything you can.  For all our victories no matter how big or small are all proof of our strength.  Proof of our courage and proof that we can do this.